Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Vietnam: a Supply Chain Perspective of Organic Vegetable Production in Hanoi

This paper examines critical dimensions of the production and supply-chain methodologies employed in the production and distribution of organic vegetables in the Hanoi Region of Vietnam, framed against current accepted sustainable agricultural practices. This paper provides insights into organic and sustainable vegetable production by giving a voice to the relevant protagonists on the ground. The methodology employed is qualitative and is based on an extensive literature review and interviews with organic growers and selected channel intermediaries. The paper explicates the extant supply chains and identifies the associated distribution systems employed by farmers. While the Vietnamese government heavily promotes sustainable agricultural production, it was found that no structured and sustained effort is being exerted in the area of distribution and marketing of organic vegetables. Critically the communal land distribution system presents major implications for the future of sustainable organic vegetable production practices in Vietnam. Therefore recommendations are formulated in the areas of supply chain integration, land development and certification of organic vegetables in Vietnam.